Pat’s passion for dogs began early in life, starting with her beloved Border Collies, Dylan and Marina. Her journey into formal dog training began 19 years ago with the arrival of Rily, an exceptional Border Collie. When Tana, Rily’s full brother from a different litter, joined the family, he too quickly became involved in training classes and shared in the fun!

This deep-rooted passion for dog training culminated in the establishment of Flying Paws Dog Training 11 years after Rily started classes. Since 2014, Pat has owned and run Flying Paws, transforming it into the leading destination for dog training, specifically puppy and behaviour training, on Tasmania’s North West Coast.

Pat’s dedication to continuous learning and professional development is evident in her impressive qualifications:

• 2016: Qualified Puppy Class Instructor through 4 Paws K9 Dog Training
• 2017: Achieved Certificate III in Dog Behavior and Training through NDTF
• 2022: Completed Deep Dive into Dog Training and Behavior, Understanding Reactivity through Canine C.A.R.E.givers
• 2023: Certified Family Dog Mediator (FDM) through the L.E.G.S. Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Professional Course
• 2023: Completed Crimson Hound Professional Course on Canine Body Language
• 2024: Completed Canine Principles Course on Canine Resource Guarding

In addition to these qualifications, Pat continually pursues both in-person and online courses to stay at the forefront of dog training techniques and to better support you and your dog.

Although Rily passed away in early 2022 at the remarkable age of 17 and Tana in late 2020 at 13, their legacy lives on. The baton has now been passed to Zani, a lively 6-year-old Border Collie, who keeps a watchful eye over the office and continues the family tradition of excellence in dog training.

Molly’s love for dogs has been a lifelong journey, beginning with her family’s Golden Retriever, Mawson. For her 21st birthday in 2015, she welcomed a Maremma puppy named Murphy into her life. Murphy joined Dudley, the family’s Miniature Fox Terrier. Murphy started his training at Flying Paws as a puppy and, 9 years later, is now the most senior member of the Advanced Class!

In 2018, Molly began assisting with classes, turning her passion into a profession. Her dedication is reflected in her impressive qualifications:

• 2016: Completed a course in Dog Emotion and Cognition through Duke University
• 2019: Qualified as a Puppy Class Instructor through Noble Canine
• 2020: Achieved certifications in Level 1 and 2 Scent Work Instructor courses through DogNostics
• 2021: Completed a Dog Nutrition and Behavior course through the School of Canine Science
• 2022: Finished courses in Deep Dive into Dog Training and Behavior, and Understanding Reactivity through Canine C.A.R.E.givers
• 2023: Became a certified Family Dog Mediator (FDM) through the L.E.G.S. Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Professional Course, and completed Canine Nutrition and Health, and Canine Ethology and Enrichment certificates through Canine Principles
• 2024: Earned Canine Nutrition and Wellness Expert and Canine Resource Guarding certificates through Canine Principles

In addition to her dog training expertise, Molly graduated from Swinburne University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing. Her ongoing commitment to learning includes both in-person and online courses to stay at the cutting edge of dog training and care.

Murphy, now 9 years old, and in May this year was joined by his new little brother Fox, a Lilac Border Collie. Fox has slotted into the Flying Paws team seamlessly, both at home, in the office and in classes as our “demo” dog!